The field of the invention is head restraints and the invention relates more particularly to head restraints for use when a person is seated in a chair for comfortably supporting a user""s head while sleeping while traveling. A typical application would be to assist one in sleeping on an airplane.
There are numerous patents for devices for this purpose. U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,151 shows a head restraint that utilizes a strap 12 which is tightened around the back of chair 11. A headband 14 is placed around the user""s forehead and either riveted to strap 12 or attached by a cord to strap 12 at a single point. The natural right and left turning of the user""s head would tend to distort the headband and provide a source of discomfort.
The Meistrell U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,031 shows in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 a head restraint which includes a seat band which is secured around the head rest portion of the seat. A band 15 is secured at the back of the band and along both sides to the securement band 19 and is wrapped around the user""s forehead and secured by a xe2x80x9cVelcroxe2x80x9d type securement.
The Ross U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,716 shows a head support assembly for physically disabled persons and includes a headband 16 which is loosely supported to a seat back by a pair of cords 20 and 22. This device is designed to permit a substantial amount of movement of the user""s head and would be inappropriate for supporting the user""s head while sleeping.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,825 shows a traveler""s head support sleeping and resting harness. As shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4, the harness has a seat harness 20 secured around the seat. An adhesive strap is secured to the seat harness and provides a head harness by a loop that passes over the user""s forehead, but does not surround the user""s head. The head harness is non-resilient.
In order to provide a high enough degree of comfort to permit a user to sleep, it has been found important that a limited amount of side to side head movement be possible. If too much head movement is permitted, the user""s head can move into an uncomfortable position. This will cause the user to wake up. Conversely, if the user""s head is fixed in a single position, this can, as time passes, cause discomfort.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a head restraint which permits limited but elastically restrained movement of the user""s head during use.
The present invention is for a head restraint for supporting a user""s head with respect to the head rest portion of a seat. A headband strap is placed around the user""s head across the user""s forehead. The strap has a righthand securement strap attached at its first end to the head strap. Similarly, a lefthand securement strap is affixed to the left side of the head strap. Either the head strap and/or the securement straps are fabricated from an elastic material so that the user may be permitted a small degree of gentle head movement while sleeping. The securement straps have hook and eye fastener areas at their ends which may be attached to an anchor band secured over the head rest portion of the seat. The head restraint may be affixed to a child""s safety or booster car seat by hook and eye fastener members adhered to the back of the child""s safety or booster car seat to which the righthand and lefthand securement straps may be affixed.